Time management is all about making the most effective use of your time and working smarter, not harder. It requires planning, and then sticking to the plan – and that takes discipline.
According to the Pareto principle or 80/20 rule, 80 per cent of results come from 20 per cent of effort. That means that of all the things you do, 20 per cent are vital and 80 per cent don’t contribute much. Just think of how much you would achieve if you focused more effort on the 20 per cent that really matters!
There are only three ways to spend time: Thoughts, Conversations and Actions. Regardless of the type of business you are in, your work will be composed of those three items. Here are 5 strategies to effectively manage your time better.
“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.” ― H. Jackson Brown Jr.
Plan with clear focus
Planning plays a pivotal role in effective time management. Plan your day well in advance to make the best possible use of time. There is no point in working just for the sake of doing work. Planning will give you a sense of direction in the organization and motivate you to complete assignments on time.
Plan how you want to move forward. Create a dynamic to do list to,set a goal and objective and work hard towards achieving the same. Detailed planning suggests you the steps towards realizing your goals at the workplace within a defined time frame.Be sure to include strategic and relationship-building activities as well as operational tasks.
Organize yourself
Many people struggle with disorganization. And, while some think they can succeed amidst the chaos, this disorganization can end up costing a high price. Disorganization can hold us back from getting the promotion we’ve always wanted. It can block our creativity, add stress to our lives, and prevent us from being as productive and effective as we could be.
If you want to get organized, then clearing your desktop is a smart strategy. This can be a time-consuming task, so it might be best to work on this at the end of the day or at the weekend. It’s important to do this slowly, especially if your desk is extremely cluttered!
Time is really the only capital any human being has, and the one thing he can’t afford to waste.– American inventor Thomas Edison
Stop Procrastinating
Do you find yourself procrastinating all the time? If so, you’re not alone: About 20% of adults claim to be chronic procrastinators.If you procrastinate too much you will not get the most important things done. And you will also send yourself into negative spirals where your self-esteem plummets and you spend your days or more in a vague negative funk.By putting things off, you are just creating more pain at a later stage for yourself.
Stop Thinking, Start Doing. Begin with the hardest task of the day, this allows you to face your fears and incorporate a positive behavior towards adversity. If you start your day this way you will feel relieved. You feel relaxed and good about yourself so make a decision and follow through with it. Create positive habits and stick to them,over time you will find yourself enjoying the process.
Review your progress
Spend 10 minutes a day reviewing your task list every day before you leave the office. Give yourself a pat on the back if you achieved what has set out to. If you think your day’s effort fell short, decide what you’ll do differently tomorrow in order to accomplish what you need to. Reviews are really personal, and they need time to evolve into something you find beneficial for helping you track your progress. A tool I have grown quite fond of is iDoneThis
iDoneThis sends an email at the end of the workday and a quick reply will let you note down what got done so you can share it with the team.
Look for the positives when you leave the office and be determined to pick up the thread the next day. Don’t be too hard on yourself as you are still in the early stages of time management mastery.
Work Smart,Not Hard
Having self-awareness allows an individual to prioritize his or her own needs, ask for help, cut losses, and build upon strengths in an intentional manner. Figure out what your strengths are and build a network around you to to reach goals in the quickest and most efficient way possible.
We get so caught up in busyness that we forget to enjoy what we’re doing. Even when we focus on working smarter, we’re still often too focused on getting things done. Arrange your commitments in a way that you’re happy living out the details of your daily life, even while you’re working.
Be curious. Be open to opportunity. Know yourself. Embrace your passions.
Hope these strategies aid you in reaching your objectives, let me know if you require my help!